1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, and, more particularly, to a method for using an imaging apparatus to generate image panels for assembly as a poster.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical imaging apparatus, such as a printer or an All-In-One machine (AIO), includes a print engine for forming an image on one or more sheets of print media, such as paper. Such a print engine may be, for example, an ink jet print engine having a reciprocating printhead carrier, or an electrophotographic (e.g., laser) print engine. An AIO is a multifunction unit that is configured to perform stand alone functions, such as copying or facsimile receipt and transmission, or may be connected to a host computer via a communications link to facilitate a printing function.
Many traditional printers and All-In-One machines (AIOs) have the capability to print in a “poster” mode. The poster mode enlarges and prints a single image across multiple pages that the user attaches together to form a poster. The poster size is typically 2×2 (4 pages), 3×3 (9 pages), 4×4 (16 pages), etc. Each page may be, for example, a sheet of paper. This traditional method of creating a poster has several drawbacks.
First, in order for the image to be continuous across the individual pages, the user must use a knife or scissors to manually trim any white border around each page before forming the poster. White borders are inherent to many printers, which typically cannot print all the way to the edge of the sides of the page. In addition, typical edge-to-edge printers cannot be used in the traditional manner for poster creation as they print the images off the edges of the paper, losing data in that area critical for alignment with an adjacent page.
Another drawback is that the user must assemble the individual pages together in the correct order, which can be difficult especially with larger posters, such as those including nine or more pages. Additionally, it may be difficult to hold the pages in the proper position relative to each other as the pages are connected, e.g., taped together, or glued to a backing.